This invention relates to a fabric used to wrap surgical instruments and medical devices and appliances that are to be sterilized. The fabric has a foam coating on at least one surface that extends into the fabric substrate, the coating composed of an open-celled hydrophobic polymeric foam that allows gaseous sterilizing materials, such as steam or ethylene oxide gas, to penetrate the foam and, in turn, contact surgical instruments wrapped in the fabric while providing bacterial filtration/barrier properties. The fabric is repellent to alcohol, water, and saline and is flexible, opaque and easily sterilized using conventional hospital sterilization equipment. Optionally, the fabric may be a composite structure with two fabric plies surrounding an open-celled hydrophobic polymeric foam layer.
It is common practice in a hospital surgical supply or central supply room (often identified by its abbreviation CSR) to wrap instruments or medical devices and appliances prior to sterilization. These packages are typically wrapped with a textile or nonwoven fabric which serves to protect the instruments during sterilization and to preserve their sterility upon subsequent storage. Fabrics which are typically used in this area are either tightly woven textiles or nonwovens which possess a closed structure. Presently, there are several nonwoven fabrics available which are economically attractive, but do not possess the appropriate physical properties.
An objective of this invention is to provide a procedure that upgrades a non-uniform, low filtration efficiency fabric and imparts to it high filtration efficiency and uniformity, coupled with water/fluid repellency, sterilizability, and opacity, all within economic limits.
It has been discovered that the application of an open-celled hydrophobic polymeric stable foam compound coated onto the surface of a suitable substrate or sandwiched between two fabric plies, the foam penetrating the substrate or, if a plied structure, one of the substrates, to varying degrees. The fabric exhibits the combined effects of good permeability to steam or ethylene oxide sterilizing gases while offering adequate bacterial filtration efficiency. In addition, the product will possess adequate fluid repellency to prevent transmission of bacteria. The product is non-toxic in accordance with current industry and federal guidelines, and is substantially lint free, odor free, and drapeable.